


Breath

by AsagiStilinski



Series: Y-G-October 2018 [10]
Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Duel Monsters (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Blood Magic, Blood Pacts, First Kiss, Fluff, M/M, Magic, Resurrection, Rituals, Soul Bond, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Yami Yuugi | Atem has his own body
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-10
Updated: 2018-10-10
Packaged: 2019-07-29 08:43:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16260683
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AsagiStilinski/pseuds/AsagiStilinski
Summary: "Atem, can you hear me? Atem?"Yes... yes, he could hear that voice... he recognized....Fingers twitched, eyes fluttered beneath their lids, breath heaved in and out of lungs, and finally--"Y-Yugi...?"Day 10 of Y-G-October 2018





	Breath

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Finaiarel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Finaiarel/gifts).



> I wrote most of this wile my dog was SCREAMING in my ear so I apologize if it's only partly coherent ;_; The theme is "Resurrection" via this list http://horrificmemes.tumblr.com/post/177941943723/its-that-tiiiime-just-like-last-fall-im-giving
> 
> I love the idea of Atem coming back via magic instead of technology- like, _classic_ magic, not really YGO magic, and I really love the idea of Yugi bringing him back to, so this one was inspired by an RP I have going on with Prince (Finaiarel) that I love dearly  <3

The first thing he felt when he woke was pain

It was sort of an all over body ache, inside and outside, every inch of him ached, as if he had been slammed into a wall or hit by a car

He could acknowledge the pain, but his mind was so slow... he was running on maple syrup, he couldn't quite... quite grasp a thought...

_"Atem?"_

Ah... that voice....

_"Atem, can you hear me? Atem?"_

Yes... yes, he could hear that voice... he recognized....

Fingers twitched, eyes fluttered beneath their lids, breath heaved in and out of lungs, and finally--

"Y-Yugi...?"

It was all so blurry when he first opened his eyes, but he didn't have time to question it, he didn't have time to adjust, before he could gain another coherent thought, there were warm, strong arms around him, hugging, squeezing, _holding_

His senses were still overwelmed, he still couldn't hold onto much, but he managed to wrap his arms around his partner as well

He hugged, he squeezed, he held, and all of a sudden it was all much easier

Still in pain, still adjusting to the sudden influx of sensation that hadn't been there before, but so much easier now

His eyes adjusted first, then the ringing in his ears began to dull, his mouth slowly felt less and less dry and when he inhaled he could get a clear breath, a breath of fresh air, of soft mango scent, familiar shampoo...

And then he _felt_

He felt the warmth around him

He felt the tears against his skin

He felt the trembling in the body he was holding

He felt every breath, every heartbeat, every pulse...

He felt _everything_

And then, as if an engine was finally starting, it all hit him all at once, and he pulled back, shock and awe in his expression as he gently cupped his partner's face in return, stared into his watering, reddened eyes, and Atem was-...

Well, at first he was silent, not sure what to say, but then it all tumbled out without much control

"H-How? Yugi, am I-?"

"You're back, I brought you back,"

Atem didn't have time to question further, Yugi was wrapping himself tightly around him again before he could get out another word

The pharaoh couldn't say he was complaining

"But... _how_?" he repeated softly, eagerly returning the tight hug, even though he was confused, he wasn't about to pass up the opportunity to hold his partner

He could _never_ pass up the opportunity to hold his partner

Still, he couldn't help noticing his partner's silence, or the sudden stillness of his body, and as much as he wanted to keep holding on, to simply brush aside everything else about this moment and drown in Yugi's very being, he knew that he couldn't, there was something wrong here, and he needed to know what it was

So, with great and heavy reluctance, he carefully pushed away, and stared at Yugi's face- at the melancholy, _guilty_ expression he wore

"I'm sorry.... I know I shouldn't have, it was selfish of me not to let you rest but-"

"Stop," Atem ordered softly, reaching out to gently slide his fingers beneath Yugi's chin, staring deeply into his eyes

"I am _happy_ to have returned to you, my partner, I am happy to be here again, I am happy to be with _you_ , I only wish to know how you accomplished such a task, it wasn't through Kaiba's virtual method, so.... how have you acheived such an accomplishment?"

Still, his partner looked guilty, and that was starting to frighten Atem more and more

He couldn't help noticing the way that Yugi's eyes were focused on the floor, and slowly, he looked down at the floor, eyebrows raising in surprise at the strange ... _patterns_ ... he found traced out on the kitchen tile- why were they in the kitchen anyway?-

Slowly, he began to sit up, rising slowly, overcome with dizziness and a strange shaking of his bones

"Wait, let me help," Yugi said suddenly, practically jumping to his feet and very carefully extending a hand down to help his partner

"You're going to be weak for a wile, but you should start feeling better soon, just... let me help until then, ok?"

This was getting stranger by the moment, and logically, Atem _should_ be worried, to atleast some degree, but he couldn't quite manage to, he felt so safe with Yugi, so at peace, that even though he was confused and curious and a little concerned, he couldn't quite manage to feel any fear

When Yugi was with him, he was braver than he had ever been, it was good to see that hadn't changed

Finally on his feet, he allowed the smaller duelist to lead him a few steps away, his feet somewhat unsteady, legs a little wobbly, as he followed

But once he was a few steps away, he atleast managed to look down at that strange pattern he had spotted earlier, and once he did... things started to become _achingly_ clear

"Those symbols...."

Pausing, he turned to stare down at Yugi, but his partner wasn't meeting his eyes, only staring at the floor once again

"Yugi... you .. you used _magic_ .... _ancient_ magic, where did you even learn of rituals such as these?"

"Let's just say that Ryou and I did alot of studying..."

"Ryou?"

Come to think of it, he _did_ remember Ryou being interested in magic and the occult, but....

"He helped me with a project of mine, so I helped him with one of his own," Yugi shrugged back

He probably should ask about what this mysterious other project was but... he couldn't quite bring himself to do so....

"I see... but Yugi, all magic comes with a price, what did you pay for my return?"

His partner probably thought he was being discrete when he yanked reflexively on his sleeve

He wasn't

_Blood magic..._

"You used blood magic...?"

Now things were starting to make sense, there was only one thing he could have used blood magic for in order to resurrect someone...

That spell was ancient, lost long, long ago- thankfully- and yet somehow Yugi had managed to dig it up

He shouldn't be surprised, this _was_ his partner he was talking about after all

"What god did you pray to?" he asked quietly, his voice tight and tense with anxiety as he turned to stare down at the younger duelist

"Yugi, who did you make a blood pact with?"

Yugi glanced up, staring at him with softness and warmth in his expression

"You, I ... made the blood pact with you, Mou Hitori,"

Wait.. what....-?

"Aibou, what do you-"

"Pharaohs are living gods, aren't they? I mean, it's kind of a sketchy area but ... I made the blood pact with you, that I would bring you as my guardian into this realm, and use my life force to sustain your own, and when I die, I'll become your guardian in Aaru,"

Atem had heard of that spell, very vaguely, but he couldn't believe it had worked for anyone other than a _true_ god...

He would have to ask Mahaad about the logistics of that some time

"Yugi, a lifetime of being guarded by me is not worth _eternity_ of you becoming my-"

"It isn't about guarding," Yugi insisted with a frown, taking Atem's hand immediately

"I just want to be with you, to have you with me again... I don't care what form or roles we need to take to accomplish that, do you?"

When Yugi put it that way... he supposed his reservations about it sounded a bit silly...

"No... no, not at all," he promised softly, squeezing his partner's hand gently

"I just want you to be sure, Yugi, are you truly positive that you want to spend _eternity_ with me?"

Yugi deadpanned, eyebrows raising slightly as he gripped both of his partner's hands, giving them a gentle but firm squeeze

"Atem, you know me, you know me better than anyone, and you should know not to even ask that, besides, don't you think it's a little late to be changing my mind?" he teased playfully

"I... suppose you have a point," the pharaoh said with a slight, airy laugh, his cheeks slightly pink, head hung shyly

"Good, now ... I should really clean all of this up, and you should rest wile I do, like I said, you're going to be weak for a little wile, but there's one thing I want to do first,"

"Inform our freinds of my return?" Atem guessed

"No, we'll do that tommorrow, I want to keep you all to myself for today,"

That made sense, though... now he was just trying to figure out what it was that Yugi could want to do...

"I see, then... what is it you wished to do?"

"Something we couldn't do before,"

For a breif moment, he was still confused, until Yugi gently cupped his face, pulled him down, and pressed a soft kiss to his lips

Ah... _now_ it made sense

Atem closed his eyes, relaxing against his partner's- _lover's_ \- touch, and leaned further into the affectionate kiss

He was happy

Even though he was still nervous about Yugi making such a sacrifice for him, above all else, he was _happy_

After all, he had always wanted to spend an eternity with his partner anyway


End file.
